New American Road Trip Presents Outcomes of Global Climate Action Summit to UN Youth Envoy in New York

The New American Road Trip is an 11 day, more than 2,900-mile journey with an electric vehicle from San Francisco to New York’s 10th Climate Week and the One Planet Summit to inform and discuss with the public the Call to Global Climate Action issued from the Global Climate Action Summit

New American Road Trip Presents Outcomes of Global Climate Action Summit to UN Youth Envoy in New York

October 2, 2018—In its final act, the New American Road Trip team arrived at the United Nations during General Assembly week and was privileged to be able to hand over the outcomes from the Global Climate Action Summit in California to the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy for Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake.

It was indeed fitting to be able to deliver a photo of the Call to Global Climate Action being signed by the workers that produced the electric car used on the road trip to Ms. Wickramanayake and bring events full circle.

For it was the UN Youth Envoy, towards the end of the Global Climate Action Summit on September 14, who tasked the Road Trip team to take the Call and news of the Summit’s more than 500 commitments to the American people—and via social media to the world.

Ms. Wickramanayake, who posed with team members João Talocchi and JC Coccoli by a UN General Assembly Twitter Hashtag, expressed delight that the Call—signed by Mayors, unionized workers, ordinary people and civil society representatives in the many states visited—had made it to New York and was eager to hear the many positive stories from the Road Trip about Americans taking action.

UN Secretary-General’s Envoy for Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake, receives a photo along with the Summit outcomes

During our time at the UN, which coincided with the 10th Climate Week, we had the chance to also tell our stories via a live interview in the SDG Media Zone.

We were given an opportunity to also showcase the New American Road Trip at a special reception to award the 15 winners of UN climate change’s 2018 Momentum for Change Awards co-hosted with the Climate Group at the headquarters of Anheuser Busch.

During our time in New York, Global Climate Action Summit Communications Director Nick Nuttall was also interviewed by China Global TV who were keen to talk about the United Nations and the Road Trip.

So as William Shakespeare noted: “All’s Well That Ends Well” and indeed after well over 3,000 miles, with nearly as many experiences both personal and professional and the gathering of inspirational tales, the New American Road Trip achieved its goals.

It is not the final word on this special contribution to the Global Climate Action Summit and the international efforts to address climate change under the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Our car journey might have physically come to an end, but it will remain alive for a while online. Please keep following the Road Trip’s social media accounts – Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for a little while longer as the team posts updates, new stories, comedy and more incredible images from our time on the road.

The New American Road Trip was organized by Purpose with support from foundations including Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Hewlett Foundation, the JPB Foundation, the IKEA Foundation and Climate Works Foundation. Follow the progress made on the road trip online here.